Gingrich, North don't deserve limelight

Liberal bias? Oh, give us all a break. The letter from Kent W. Comstock doesn't hold water ("Ignoring Gingrich visit shows liberal bias," Star-Bulletin, June 1). Both Newt Gingrich and Ollie North deserve no more media attention.

Oliver North was in the Marines working in the basement of the White House when he got involved with selling arms (weapons) to our enemy, Iran in the Iran-Contra affair. He lied to Congress and was charged with various crimes. President Bush Sr. was being advised to pardon him, but instead his conviction was overturned on a technicality.

Gingrich is the former Speaker of the House who was reprimanded by the House ethics panel over charges that he used tax-exempt funding to advance his political goals. He quit the Congress in 1998. He also was having an affair with a congressional aide while investigating President Clinton for basically the same thing. Gingrich is well known for the way he handled his first divorce; he discussed divorce with his wife while she was recuperating from cancer surgery in the hospital.

The bottom line is the media really don't need to give these two guys space unless they somehow earn it.

Mark Trexler
Waialua

Liberals respond to rally with hate mail

Here is yet another example of how closed-minded liberals really are: Whenever they don't agree with you, they try to silence the opposition. They do this because they know they'll never win a debate on facts alone. Another example would be socialist Hugo Chavez shutting down opposition TV stations in Venezuela.

I attended the Freedom Rally, and it was a nonpolitical, informative, patriotic event whose proceeds went toward sending the children of slain soldiers to college. I advertised this event on craigslist.com, and not only did I receive 10 hate mails from liberals, they ultimately removed my ad due to community flagging. They can say they support the troops all they want, but actions speak louder than words.

Justin L. Tanoue
Kaneohe

Iraq war is about money and oil, period

Robert Zimmer writes in his May 31 letter about the Iraq war that "we are trying to settle a civil strife between sects." He argues, "If we are staying, let's get it done or get out of there tomorrow."

It appears that the commodities being taken as war booty by the U.S. government and corporations such as Halliburton are the real reason we would allow U.S. men and women to be killed. I don't believe this war has anything to do with insurgency, religious strife, or terrorists; it is about money. "Getting it done" means sucking the wells dry, we will not leave until we have our fill (up).

John Mackin
Honolulu

As president, Bush is tragic embarrassment

On my way to work last Thursday I saw an automobile that displayed a faded old "W 04" bumper sticker. You know the one, the sticker with the clever "W" slogan to show one's support for George W. Bush in his 2004 race for president.

Well, I felt nothing but pity for the lady driving the "W" car. Perhaps the joke was on Republicans in 2004 and the "W" actually stood for "War" and not "Walker."

After all, it seems that President Bush's ignorance is only surpassed by those who voted for him. For some strange reason many Republicans and "Bushies" cannot seem to grasp this fact: I can love my country yet still be completely and utterly ashamed of its actions under "W" and the crimes constantly being committed by his administration.

Or perhaps it is simply that I cannot stand having a president who is not smarter than I am. George W. Bush is an embarrassing idiot.

Michael Lauck
Honolulu

Story revives harmful cliche about veterans

I want to thank the Star-Bulletin for reviving the nearly extinct cliche stereotype slur against Vietnam veterans in your story about the Hawaii County Council's consideration of ending the "Green Harvest" marijuana eradication program.

The story "Big Island rejects federal funds for war on pot" (May 18), said 1978 "was a time when marijuana growers, some of them Vietnam War veterans, were carrying weapons, setting up combat-style booby traps, even shooting at telephone workers putting up wires."

Only Americans with the good sense to dodge the draft and evade military service matured into fine, law-abiding, non-violent solid citizens.

I've missed this unsupported generalization; I haven't read it for at least a year.Thanks for continuing the 35-year-old media tradition of public slander, libel, defamation and fear-mongering.

Robert Merkin
U.S. Army, 1969-1971
Northampton, Mass.

Just a mouth full helps the medicine do down

A very small article in the June 1 issue of Star-Bulletin mentioned that 50 percent of women have difficulty taking pills. I assume that figure is true for men as well.

I used to gag and choke almost every time I took a pill until I found a very easy method many years ago. Have food such as mashed potatoes, oatmeal, yogurt, soft bread, etc., in your mouth and then place the pill in and swallow. Then take a glass of water.

There are hundreds of foods that will help.

Dave Chapnick
Honolulu

Hawaiian Air not as local as it claims

Recent television commercials for Hawaiian Airlines Inc., with the appropriate Hawaiian music, beautiful maiden and the classic beach, ocean and sunset scene, identify the company as the only truly "Hawaiian" airline (or words to that effect), implying this is a "local" company.

This is the same "local" airline that is transferring its call center operations to the Philippines; its information technology functions to a vendor in India; and recently contracted maintenance for its fleet of 17 Boeing 767-300s to Air New Zealand, located in Auckland.

On May 24, Hawaiian "local" Airlines announced that it has laid off 98 nonunion employees, and is also eliminating 38 vacant nonunion positions. But don't worry folks -- 40 percent of the reductions (39 positions) are mainland employees.

This is the same "local" airline that paid Hawaiian Airlines Chief Executive Officer Mark Dunkerley $2.5 million last year ... more than double his $1.2 million pay package for 2005. This same "local" airline reported $11.9 million loss for the January-March 2007 quarter. The 98 laid off "nonunion" employees are a result of an effort to cut $4 million from its annual budget. As CEO Dunkerley stated, "It's a very sad day for everybody."

I can hardly wait until things get better ...

Jerry B. Norris
Manoa

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